AWD Battle
by Kevin Griffis
Summary: With the 86 down for repairs from another incredible battle, Takumi is forced to drive the Impreza whether he likes it or not. An old enemy returns with a new threat... thanks to the help of Takumi's close friend. Note: Problem with format, trying to fix.


Shingo stared in undisguised contempt at the rain-soaked form of his former leader, Takeshi Nakazato. The young man, clad in black like his R32 GT-R, was shaking with rage and misery.

"You lost to an AE86. An Evo. An S2000. And now you've lost to me, twice. You were our leader when you won against our rivals and made the Night Kids strong, but now you make us look weak, a laughingstock of a team that anyone will challenge without fear. Your inability to concentrate and drive has ruined our reputation. I'm overthrowing you, Nakazato, and there's nothing you can do about it."

Lightning cracked overhead, a tremendous boom of thunder echoing through the mountain pass like a cannon, or the bursting of Nakazato's aching heart. The battles had been fierce and difficult in the freely flowing rain that drenched everything it could land upon. The R32, with its superior traction, should have been the winning car, but Shingo's Civic had dominated time and time again, using its light weight and front wheel drive traction to emerge victorious.

"So you think you can handle the responsibility of heading up this team?" Nakazato asked, his voice dangerously quiet in the pounding rain. Another bolt of lightning lit up the night sky and Shingo caught a glimpse of the murderous look in Takeshi's eyes as he spoke.

"A team I founded with my blood and sweat? With my time and money? Do you know how many hundreds of liters of fuel I burned, how many tires I bought, just to put us on the map? Just to establish us as the Night Kids of Myogi? If you think you can take this team further, and if your team mates back you, then I will not argue." Nakazato made a sudden movement that caused Shingo to cringe, fearing a blow, but the man was simply tearing the Night Kids sticker from his GT-R. With shaking hands Nakazato held the shredded remains of the sticker that had graced his car for countless years and battles, then dumped it on the rain-soaked asphalt and ground it under his heel.

"From now on, I battle alone. Watch your back, Shingo." Without another word Nakazato stepped inside his battle-scarred R32, closed the door, started his engine and disappeared into the night.

"Fujiwara, I admire your determination in that battle, but your 86 is in need of repair. Do you have another mode of transportation?" Ryosuke asked, chuckling to himself quietly. The young man had over-revved his engine, damaging a number of valve springs in order to make a last-ditch effort at defeating his opponent, an expertly-driven high-rev MR-S. It would take two weeks or more to get replacements flown in that would be of the same incredible quality.

"I can find something," Takumi replied, pleased that he had won. The intense rain of the battle had thrown him into doubt, but with his typical strike of luck he had pulled through, found his opponent's weakness, and had won. The defeated MR-S driver was staring at his red convertible sadly, shaking his head and carefully probing the depth of the scratches in his gunmetal 17" wheels.

"Good job, Takumi," Keisuke said with a smile. The rivalry between the two had found a new outlet, no longer a constant battle for superiority but a continual exchange of information instead. The two drivers had improved dramatically in a far shorter period of time than even Ryosuke had predicted.

Returning home that night courtesy of Keisuke, Takumi stopped for a moment outside the door and paused to take a deep breath. How would his father take the news?

"Eh?" Bunta said, putting down his cigarette.

"I over-revved the engine and damaged some valve springs. It will be repaired, don't worry, but I don't have a car to do the deliveries in for a while," Takumi explained apologetically. Bunta shook his head.

"If I were driving, I wouldn't have damaged the engine. But you're still a crappy driver. As long as I don't have to pay to fix your mistakes, I won't worry about it. You can use the Impreza to deliver. Be careful with it. Don't break it, I spent some time tuning it." As Takumi climbed the steps to his room his mind suddenly screamed to a halt. _Tuned?_

Nakazato stared at the crumpled rear fender of his precious R32. He had lost control in the heat of battle and bounced his car off the guardrail, ruining his time and allowing Shingo to squeeze past. Takeshi did something he had never done before. He sat down with a notepad and pencil and began to write.

"My failings," he said as he wrote boldly on the paper. "Loss of concentration. Minimal counter attacks. Minimal strategy. Minimal mind games." He kept writing, bringing up each and every painful memory, counting all the defeats he had suffered. Then, when he had covered a few sheets, he wrote a new heading.

"Car failings," he said, the words bitter in his mouth. It was never the car, it was the driver that lacked the abilities. But there was no denying the R32 was heavy, a staggering load was placed on the front tires, the brakes would overheat...

"There's no other way about it," he said, sighing heavily. He ran his hands over the battered R32, grimacing at the scratches in the door, the gouges in his front bumper, the crumpled rear quarter panel, the crack in the tail light, and the unsettling emptiness where the Night Kids sticker used to proudly sit. He flicked off a pile of dried mud, watching as it shattered on the ground into a million specks of dirt.

"You've been my car since I suffered defeat at the hands of a white R32 GT-R. I've tuned you for power, and I've done my best to adapt my driving style to work with your unworldly grip and your unfortunate understeer. I've improved my abilities ever since Fujiwara triumphed over me, but I haven't made enough progress. GT-R, I've failed you, but you must get into shape as I do." Nakazato rested his hand on the big black hood, sighed, and shook his head.

"Alright. Let's get to work."

Shingo hit the brakes, another win under his belt. The Myogi Night Kids were beginning to regain their tarnished honor, but it would be a long and weary climb to return to their former status. A new team had eclipsed them on the mountain, and it was this team that they were steadily defeating, car by car. A defeated white S14 was the latest, victim to turbo lag.

"Remember who defeated you," Shingo said to the crestfallen young woman who was staring at the gashes in the paint on her quarter panel.

From the sidelines, Itsuki was shaking his head.

"That was evil of him," he was saying to an inattentive Takumi. Iketani was nearby, quietly recounting the S14 driver's skill. She reminded him of Mako, a painful thought to bear.

"He did what was necessary to win. Some race with honor and lose, others race without honor and win. Come on, I'm cold," Takumi said, headed for the Impreza. The others followed suit and climbed in, Iketani cramming himself in back. The Impreza started up instantly with a rumble and a hint of turbo whine, and the three made their way back down the mountain.

"Who was that?" Itsuki shouted suddenly, pointing to a lone figure standing at one of the deserted curves. Iketani turned his head to see, but the man had disappeared.

"Seeing ghosts, Itsuki?" Iketani joked.

"No, it looked like Nakazato from the Night Kids, but he wasn't racing tonight," he replied.

"That's because Shingo overthrew Nakazato and took control of the Night Kids. No one's seen him anywhere, or his GT-R. Rumor is he gave up on racing when he couldn't defeat Shingo in a three run battle." Takumi listened in, paying more attention than usual. It was odd to think that the hot-headed Takeshi would give up on something he loved so dearly, but it was ominous he would be standing by himself, in the dark, at a deserted corner.

"Brother," Ryosuke said, looking up from his computer, "I'm going for a drive. Don't touch my laptop," he added, picking up his keys and making for the door. Keisuke watched, slightly confused.

"I never touch his laptop," he said to himself. It sat there on his brother's desk, open and inviting. With a smirk, Keisuke crept into the room as soon as he heard the FC fire up and glanced at the screen. It was still resting on a picture of a page showing a number of package deliveries to a local shop. It was from one of Ryosuke's numerous friends in the tuning industry, emailed a day ago.

"Fifteen kilogram front springs, thirteen kilogram rear springs, specially valved racing shocks, sub-frame connectors, turbochargers, intercooler piping, cylinder head, camshafts, valves, ATTESA-ETS control software... This is for a Skyline," Keisuke said, scratching his chin in confusion.

"Why would he be looking at Skyline parts?" he asked himself, scrolling down farther. At the bottom of the list Ryosuke had managed to find a copy of the signature for the packages. Takeshi Nakazato.

"Nakazato," Ryosuke said as he entered the cool shade of the garage. The R32 was up on jackstands, wheels and suspension missing.

"Ryosuke," he replied, setting down a forged aluminum alloy wheel.

"I like what you're doing," he said, resting a hand on the R32's unpainted carbon fiber fender. Takeshi looked from the hand up the arm into Ryosuke's calculating eyes.

"What do you want with an overthrown leader?" he asked angrily, picking up a wrench and sitting cross-legged at the rear of his car, removing one of the brake lines.

"I want to help you," Ryosuke replied. In the quiet that followed he could clearly hear the wrench hit the ground.

"Why help me?" Takeshi asked suspiciously.

"Because I need a new challenge for Fujiwara. It's time for him to think about a new car. The 86 is holding him back. I want him to consider the potency of an all wheel drive platform. His father is currently letting him drive an Impreza. With the remaining teams Project D needs to win against, I need him in a superior platform. I can help you regain control of the Night Kids if you trust me to help modify your car and train you."

"How would you help me take back my team?"

"By racing against Fujiwara... and defeating him."

"What you ask is impossible. My aim is Shingo and no one else," Takeshi said, snaking in the new braided stainless steel brake line that would flex less under heavy braking and give him better pedal feel.

"It's not impossible. You've come close before, Nakazato. The weight of your car and your lack of concentration is what ruined you last time. You were slack at the beginning of that battle, and it came back to haunt you. You have the necessary raw materials, Nakazato. Let me help refine you."

"I still don't understand why you need me, Ryosuke. Find someone else with all wheel drive, or race against him yourself if you want him defeated. Why do you need me?" Takeshi asked, frustrated.

"You'll find this painful to hear, but I mean this in the best possible way," Ryosuke said carefully.

"Spit it out."

"Fujiwara is uncomfortable driving the Impreza. He needs a challenge from someone he's defeated before to lull him into a sense of safety. You sucked before, he'll expect you to suck again. That'll give you five minutes to make your break for it and put enough of a gap between the two cars before he recovers and destroys you."

"Five minutes, huh?" Takeshi asked, removing the cracked tail light from his GT-R.

"Five minutes, no more. You'll need to be five corners ahead to carry it through, and you'll need my help tuning your car to give you that lead, because Nakazato," Ryosuke said, bringing himself within a few centimeters of the man, "when he recovers, in that car, there will be no hope for you."

A monstrous black power-mongered R32 roared in defiance on the empty Akagi pass, its blowoff valve screaming into the twilight.

"Good," Ryosuke said, his eyes firmly closed as he sensed the car's motions with his finely-tuned body.

"We need more rear swaybar to help reduce understeer during corner entry," Nakazato replied.

"No, we can keep the same rear bar if we switch to a wider tire up front. That'll help with turn-in and reduce the understeer without diminishing high-speed stability. How does the brake tuning feel?"

"Solid," he replied with a grin. "The ABS reacts so much faster. Are you sure it won't overload the tires?"

"You should know the answer to that as well as I do, Nakazato. We've removed eighty kilograms from this car, most of it from the front. You won't have to worry about brake fade as much, or tire degradation. Provided you don't lose your concentration," Ryosuke warned.

"I won't. Tomorrow night do you want to run your FC against me?"

"No. We need to spend tomorrow tuning your engine. There's a flat spot at 5300 RPMs that's hurting your corner exit times. The ball-bearing turbos are definitely helping in your spool-up time, but we can make it better. Remember, you have to defeat Fujiwara. He'll be in an unfamiliar car he isn't comfortable pushing to the limit, which is where your chance for victory comes in. I can keep the hachi-roku out of operation for another eight days, but that's it. We don't have much time to finish."

"What else needs to be done?" Takeshi asked, confused. The R32 was in its best shape ever, light, strong, and razor-sharp.

"The carbon fiber body panels helped lighten the car, as did the forged alloy in place of the cast steel. The lighter wheels helped, and the composite driveshaft. Tomorrow we can open up the engine, blueprint and balance everything, put on your new cylinder head and cams, and tune. I've never tuned an RB26DETT before, but I've seen plenty of them in action to know their weak spots. As long as you keep your concentration, you will defeat Fujiwara," Ryosuke said once more. Nakazato was advancing incredibly, and the power-mongered R32 was a potent weapon. Fujiwara would win, of course, but it would be such a narrow victory that it could only be attributed to the Impreza. Stringing Nakazato along was unavoidable, but it would have the proper effect.

The Skyline bellowed in anger, its engine holding at 9,000 RPMs as Ryosuke gestured to the tuner who made the desired modifications to the GT-R's fuel map. Nakazato, sitting behind the wheel and holding the engine steady, was impressed with Ryosuke's dedication. He had dumped his own money into the project to make the GT-R even more powerful. The tuner gestured to Nakazato, who lifted his foot off the throttle and let the engine spin down.

"Four seven five at the wheels," he said over the roar of the engine.

"Four hundred and seventy five horsepower?" Nakazato replied, amazed.

"You can deal with it, I think. We've retuned the ATTESA-ETS to give you more power to the rear. There's still enough going up front for you to claw out of tight situations, but since you'll be using the front tires for steering and braking, we can't have too much power going up front and using up your available traction."

"I know that," Nakazato replied in an irritated voice. "I'm not a beginner, Ryosuke. I appreciate your help and your money, and I will do what I can to assist you, but you have to realize this is my car and I know how to drive it." Ryosuke turned on him and stared down at Takeshi.

"You don't know how to drive this car. You've lost in situations where you should have won. If you're going to pull an attitude, this will be a discredit to your honor. Not that you have much left," Ryosuke added, just the right jab to set Nakazato off. The man growled at Ryosuke, unhooked his car from the dyno, and left.

"Was that wise?" Fumihiro asked from the shadows.

"It was necessary. I calculate a seventy percent chance that he'll challenge Fujiwara to a rematch and, with that anger inside of him, come the closest to winning he's ever come. If he can keep his concentration, he might even win. It will be the necessary motivation to get Fujiwara interested in all wheel drive, so we can take Project D to the next level." Ryosuke thanked the dyno operator and tuner and left with Fumihiro.

"Only time will tell. If we hear about his exploits on Myogi, you can count on him challenging Fujiwara."

Nakazato let the potent engine of the GT-R idle quietly as he focused his mind. He was resting in a parking lot along Mt. Usui, about to make a run, and he wanted to make it a good one. Takeshi checked the water temperature, oil temperature, oil pressure, and boost level before hopping out of the car to check his tire tread and pressures. After letting a little air out of the rear tires for some more traction, he sat down and buckled in.

"Time to make a run," he said, pressing the heavy clutch pedal to the floor and pushing the shifter into gear. Letting out the clutch and smoothly letting into the gas the GT-R rolled forward, picking up speed as Nakazato began to tackle the torturous curves of Mt. Usui.

The RB26DETT revved smoothly and quickly up to its 9000 RPM redline before Nakazato shifted, the car surging forward with incredible power.

"Smooth, steady," he was chanting, "smooth, steady," as he glided the car through the tight corners, its massive tires barely squealing from the g-forces. The GT-R began to pick up speed, slicing the curves tighter and apexing later. Nakazato began to smile as he realized his rapidly increasing speed.

A set of headlights appeared in his rear view mirror, and Nakazato's eyes narrowed in a predatory manner. It was a white S13, in good shape, and the driver was using drift. Takeshi forced his mind to think. He hit the brakes and moved over to let the S13 pass, and with laser intensity he watched the driver of the S13 as he continued down Usui.

"Drift driver, average acceleration, good control, minimal correction necessary after initiating drift," Nakazato said to himself, studying the driver in front of him. It had been a while since his last battle, and even longer since his last successful battle. The white S13 was a tantalizing treat dangling in front of him. For a moment he felt the conflict raging inside him. He could give chase, or he could continue practicing.

"I'll practice chasing," he said with an evil grin, flashing his headlights. The S13 driver hesitated for a moment before putting his foot to the floor and rapidly disappearing into the night.

Nakazato's eyebrows arched upwards in surprise, but he pushed the pedal down harder and began to catch up. The incredible grip provided by the new suspension and tires let him devour the corners, and the monstrous power under the hood pulled him closer and closer to the S13. Takeshi felt the blood begin to boil inside of him and vaguely noticed that he was pushing the brake harder and holding the throttle open longer. A small warning voice began shouting in his mind, but he ignored it in the heat of battle.

The powerful R32 was riding on the bumper of the S13, looking for a chance to pass. Nakazato began trying to push, trying to force the S13 driver to make a mistake. The white S13 remained steady, however, no matter how much or how hard he pushed. Nakazato felt the anger rising inside him as he tried to pass. The front tires were beginning to lose their grip as they became heat-soaked, and his pushing wasn't helping the matter.

"I will pass you!" he shouted, trying to force the R32 past, but it was no use. The S13 driver passed the unofficial finish line and disappeared, while Nakazato pulled into a parking lot and sighed, resting his head on the steering wheel.

"One more task for tonight," he said in a tired voice, opening the door and getting out.

Nakazato leaned against the hood of his car, arms crossed across his chest as he waited patiently for the solution to his problems. The mountain pass of Usui provided him with a good test for the R32's new-found abilities, as well as a chance for some sorely-needed practice without exciting the interest of his former team. He stood there, patiently waiting. The blue Sil80 had made fewer and fewer appearances on Usui as of late, which was the only chance he had.

"You look bored," a woman's voice said from behind him. Nakazato smiled slightly and turned around.

"No money to take pretty girls out to dinner," he replied, smiling at Sayuki, who blushed bright red and giggled.

"Where'd the money go?" she asked with a smile.

"Here," he replied, tapping the quarter panel of his Skyline. Her smile turned into a shocked expression as she recognized the sound of carbon fiber.

"How much?" she asked, running her hands over the fender and down the hood.

"Every last body panel. Can you keep a secret?" he asked, turning on the charm.

"Of course," she said, drooling over the GT-R.

"I managed to pull about 80 kilograms of weight out of the car, rebuilt the entire suspension, powered up the engine, worked over the brakes... the only thing stock remaining is the shift knob. The engine and suspension were tuned by Takahashi Ryosuke." Sayuki's eyes opened wider.

"What?"

"Yes. That's why I'm here, Sayuki. Shingo overthrew me as leader of the Myogi Night Kids. I need a navigator that can help keep me concentrated. I'm going to race against Fujiwara Takumi, win, and take my place back as the head of the Night Kids. I need your help."

"But Mako..."

"Mako has been racing less and less, hasn't she?" Nakazato asked.

"Yes..."

"Give me one chance at defeating Fujiwara. That's all I need, Sayuki. You'll get to ride in the passenger seat of a power-mongered, light weight GT-R. How many can say that?"

"Well, you do have my kind of face," she said softly, staring in admiration at the potent machine resting on its massive tires.

"Will you do it?" Takeshi asked, stepping closer to her. She looked up and smiled at him.

"I will, but we'll need to practice. It took me and Mako years to get as good as we were. I'm not playing down your talent, but going from a lone driver to part of a team is difficult and causes a lot of friction. You better write something down and sign it, because you're going to hate my guts at some point."

"I've got seven days," Nakazato replied. Sayuki's face fell instantly.

"Oh. Well, crash course. Get in the car."

"What about your car?" Nakazato asked.

"I was dropped off. I don't like MR2s so you're doing me a favor. Get in the car and let's drive. Come on!"

The two hopped in and belted up quickly. Nakazato started the engine and let it warm up while Sayuki took in her surroundings. After a few moments she turned to him to speak and instantly noticed that his eyes were straying below her neck.

"Is this why you put racing harnesses in the car?" she asked angrily.

"No, no!" Nakazato stammered. "Of course not. I'm sorry."

"Alright. Keep your eyes up here when you talk to me. Let's do a calibration run, okay? Drive downhill as fast as you can without changing your style. I'm going to take mental notes of everything and see where we'll have to start with," she said, settling into the supportive bucket seat.

Nakazato put the car into gear and took off, driving as fast and as hard as he could down the twisting mountain pass. He tried not to notice Sayuki's occasional sighs, but they were coming faster as the tires heated up and lost grip. At the bottom of the mountain he parked the car and let it idle to cool off the motor and turned to Sayuki for her judgement.

"So?" he finally asked, his nerves on edge.

"Well," she replied, choosing her words slowly, "hold on." She got out of the car and disappeared for a few moments, kneeling down by each wheel.

"You're overdriving the car and heating up the tires. They get heat-soaked and lose their grip. The tread is fine, you're not chewing up the tires, but you're getting them too hot and they get greasy. The first thing you need to do is replace the air in your tires with nitrogen. Nitrogen is more resistant to heating up, so your tires will stay cooler and you'll keep your grip longer. You also need a bigger diameter rear swaybar," she said, looking up at him.

"Ryosuke said I didn't need a bigger rear bar," he said.

"As much as I hate to say this, Ryosuke was wrong. For your needs, you're going to have to install a larger rear swaybar. With your driving style you need to reduce as much understeer as possible. Are you sure Ryosuke wasn't trying to set you up?" she asked.

"Pretty sure. It's frustrating. The car is in such good condition, but I lost to an S13 before I saw you. I don't know what to do. I've tried to get better at driving, but I keep losing focus and overdriving the car. If you can help me in any way, I would appreciate it greatly," he said honestly, smiling at her.

"I'll help you, but on two conditions. As you know, I'm an old friend of Shingo's. I don't approve of his bump tactics, or trying to hurt other people so he can win. I want him to stop but he won't listen to a girl. You're a good influence on him, Nakazato, but only when you're in power. If I help you return to power, you need to make him stop."

"What's the second condition?" he asked.

"I don't know if you heard about this or not, but Mako has been cutting back on driving lately. She's gotten involved in a relationship with some fellow named Iketani. They race together, and I've been kind of ignored. It's not that she does it intentionally, but this is her first serious relationship and they're with each other all the time. I like racing, and I love navigating, but I don't have a car to do it myself. I'm more comfortable in the passenger seat."

"So what's your condition?" he asked.

"Let me be your navigator after we win this battle," she asked, a hopeful smile on her face.

"Brother!" Keisuke shouted as he ran out to meet Ryosuke, "what the hell are you doing?" Ryosuke looked around him and then at Keisuke with a quizzical expression on his face.

"What do you mean?" he asked, resting against the FC's front fender.

"You took money from Project D's funds to buy parts and pay for tuning on a BNR32 GT-R. Nakazato's GT-R. You're not putting that idiot on Project D, are you?" he asked, visibly angry.

"Relax," Ryosuke said with a chuckle. "Nakazato is not a member of Project D. Would you like to know what I did with the money?"

"Of course," Keisuke replied.

"The next round of competition for Project D will involve all wheel drive cars almost exclusively. If you've noticed, all the cars we've come across lately have been turbocharged all wheel drive. Your FD is strong enough to compete against these cars, but Fujiwara's hachi-roku has me worried. We've been able to lighten it, stiffen the chassis, and after the valvesprings come in we should be able to power up the motor a little bit more, but we're grasping at straws. I'm grasping at straws, Keisuke. Fujiwara's technique is incredible, but his car is becoming a limitation. It was my thought to force Fujiwara into driving an all wheel drive turbo car by springing a challenge on him in the form of Nakazato. With a potent adversary he would instantly call out for the 86, but against Nakazato I have a good chance of forcing him to race his father's Impreza."

"So you want him to get rid of the 86?" Keisuke asked, amazed.

"Not get rid of it. Understand that there are superior vehicles out there. His hachi-roku is placing limitations on him that he doesn't need. Remove those limitations by putting him into a more potent vehicle and there's no telling where he would end up. But," Ryosuke said heavily, "I seem to have lost control of the situation. Nakazato left before I could finish fine-tuning the GT-R, and there have been numerous reports of his appearance on Usui. He's lost to an S13, but won against an S14 and a local Evo. His improvements are attributed to a young woman acting as his navigator, which is why I was at Usui just now. I believe that I've created an opponent for Fujiwara that he won't be able to win against."

"Why are you losing faith in FR?" Keisuke asked, surprised at his brother's confession.

"I'm running out of time to finish the project, and a single setback now could prevent me from seeing this through to the end. You know as well as I do the limitations placed upon the driver by an FR layout. Both your driving style and Fujiwara's have changed from drift to grip as you come against more difficult opponents, and I've tuned your cars accordingly. The FD still has potential left over, and your ability to drive it has few limits. Fujiwara's talent is as unlimited as your own, but the 86 is a weak point. The race against the S2000 was one example. He should have lost that race, Keisuke, and he would have if God Arm hadn't gotten sick right before the finish line. I can't let Project D's success hang on something so insubstantial."

"Hearing you think about abandoning FR is scary, bro," Keisuke said, shaking his head. "Next you'll tell me you're getting rid of the FC."

"Not quite," Ryosuke replied. Keisuke stood bolt upright, eyes wide.

"What?!"

"The FC will disappear for a few days. Don't worry about it." Keisuke looked from his brother to the gleaming white RX-7 and back again. Ryosuke was holding something back.

Takumi sighed deeply as he trudged toward the Impreza, accepting the cup of water from his father with a yawn.

"Don't break the tofu now," Bunta chided him, "and don't break my car. If you do, I'll take the hachi-roku back and leave you with the Impreza." Takumi glanced at his father quickly under sleepy eyelids, shook his head, and got in the car to begin his run.

A little farther down the street he turned on the radio, relaxed a bit in the seat, and drove quickly up Mt. Akina.

"I don't want to admit it," he said softly, "but I like driving this car more than the 86. It's quiet, comfortable, civilized, and it can still handle and accelerate better. Ryosuke would hate me if I asked to race this at our next challenge. It's so fun though," he said, slicing through the curves faster and faster without spilling a drop. After unloading his delivery, Takumi pulled a stopwatch out of his pocket and placed it on the seat next to him. With a smile, he launched himself down the mountain at full speed, racing desperately against the clock.

The Impreza was powerful, with more torque than the 86 could ever dream of giving him. The boxer engine growled and thrust the car forward faster and faster. With the incredible grip provided by the tuned suspension, Takumi was able to dive deeper into turns and apex later, keeping his speed up and avoiding turbo lag. The Impreza's tires were gripping perfectly, but an evil thought made its way into Takumi's mind and he tried practicing the exit-oriented gutter hook. He dove into each corner faster and harder, forcing the car to corner quicker and rev higher until he began to reach the stratospheric limits of the Impreza. Out of breath, panting, covered in sweat, Fujiwara leaned back in the seat and glanced at the timer. He had shattered his personal best by five full seconds, the greatest he had ever surpassed himself.

Returning home he looked at the empty spot where the AE86 had sat and felt a strange emotion inside him. With a sigh he shook his head and went inside.

"Ryosuke, the springs arrived for the AE86. I'll install them right away," Matsumoto said over the phone, holding one of the titanium valvesprings in his hand.

"I need you to focus on something else first," Ryosuke replied.

"What's that? A supercharger?" Matsumoto joked, laughing at the thought.

"No, a turbo."

"A turbo?!" Matsumoto shouted. "The 86 is a high-rev naturally aspirated machine, running very high compression. I don't think they make low compression pistons for this engine," he added.

"Not for the hachi-roku. For the FC," Ryosuke replied, walking through the door and shutting off his cellphone.

"You're going to modify the FC again?" Matsumoto asked, surprised.

"That's the idea," Ryosuke replied. "I have a little bit of a problem with a GT-R, and if you would install the turbocharger sitting in the passenger seat of my FC that should allow me to take care of it."

"What's better about the new turbo?"

"Ball-bearings and watercooled. It spools up faster than what's on the car now, and its flow is better suited to what I want the FC capable of. Can you do this for me first?"

"Of course," Matsumoto replied, taking the key from Ryosuke and going out to get the car. The FC rumbled in, and it was soon on the lift and up in the air. Matsumoto looked at the underbody of the RX-7 and whistled in admiration as he always did.

"I feel honored whenever you let me work on your FC, Ryosuke-san. Your dedication in building this car always impresses me. When did you install this chassis bracing?" he asked as he unbolted the exhaust system.

"Two weeks ago," Ryosuke replied. "The FC's getting older and I need to brace it more. As much as I push Fujiwara to consider a new vehicle, I should be looking into one for myself," he said with a laugh.

"Still, it wouldn't be right to retire this car after all its done for me. So I persevere," he said to Matsumoto, who smiled in return.

"You called?" Fumihiro asked, sticking his head inside the garage. Ryosuke nodded to him, and the two stood a few feet away while Matsumoto removed the old turbocharger.

"Yes, I called you for a ride. I'm having a new turbo installed on the FC to help me take care of a problem. Has Keisuke spoken to you about it?"

"I don't think so," Fumihiro replied.

"You would know if he did. Let's go outside, get something to eat, and I'll discuss it with you. Matsumoto, let me know when you're ready to tune the engine."

The two old friends got into Fumihiro's MR2 and drove to a nearby restaurant. After sitting down and ordering, Fumihiro looked expectantly at Ryosuke.

"So, why keep the hachi-roku inactive and install a turbocharger on your own car?" he asked.

"It's a difficult decision. I was sharing this with Keisuke this morning. The cars that Project D has come up against lately have all been all wheel drive with turbocharged engines. A number of Evos and Skylines. Keisuke has been able to take care of his opponents, but I've been worrying over Fujiwara. His AE86 is a potent car, and he's an incredibly talented driver, but there's only so much that can be done with a car. I want him to consider upgrading to a new car, and his father's Impreza is a suitable vehicle."

"After all we've done to the 86, I doubt his father would accept it back for daily driving in exchange for his Impreza," Fumihiro said, taking a sip of green tea.

"No, but it would allow Fujiwara to see the potential of all wheel drive. It was my thought that with Keisuke and his FD, if I could get Fujiwara to upgrade to an Impreza or Evo Project D wouldn't have to rerun any races. As you know, I don't have much time left, and any setback would hurt our time table."

"True, but do you think it's necessary to force him? Shouldn't you ask him instead?"

"I should, but he wouldn't like it. He's attached to that AE86 on a spiritual level. He's bonded with that car, whether he knows it or not. It's an extension of his body and he's able to do things with it that no one else can. He has an incredible amount of capability when it comes to FR, capability that would be incredible if he switched to all wheel drive. I've been hearing some rumblings from Akina about Fujiwara driving his father's Impreza on delivery runs and breaking his old record times. He has the ability, but I don't know if he has the desire." Ryosuke paused to eat, letting Fumihiro digest the information.

"And there is no thought in your mind in allowing Fujiwara a more powerful FR?" Fumihiro asked.

"Again, the time table is my concern. Fujiwara's current car is a liability, and we need an all wheel drive turbo car to be able to compete on a level playing field with our future battles. It makes sense to replace his car with all wheel drive. Any number of cars out there would fit the bill, but the Impreza or an Evo would be desirable, an Impreza more so since he already knows how to drive one."

"I don't know, Ryosuke. Why the FC?"

"Hmm? Well, you won't hear me admit this often, but I've lost control of an experiment." Fumihiro choked on his tea and coughed loudly.

"What?" he managed to say in a strangled voice.

"As part of my devious plan to force Fujiwara into the Impreza, I wanted to set up a challenger for him that would push his abilities, but he wouldn't be afraid to tackle in a car he wasn't comfortable with. I chose Takeshi Nakazato as that challenger, but he needed help in order to be anything resembling a challenge for him. I raided Project D's funds to help him, and tuned his car for him. I left one weakness in his car, a slight tendency to understeer. With his driving style it would overheat his front tires rapidly and make him lose grip, slowing his time. I sabotaged his car, Fumihiro, so that Fujiwara would win by the skin of his teeth and swear allegiance to the Impreza. I think I overstepped my bounds."

"I would say so," Fumihiro said, surprised at Ryosuke's behavior.

"So I attempted to alter things. I heard about Nakazato's exploits on Mt. Usui with the aid of a girl named Sayuki who acted as his navigator. She helped him fine-tune the suspension and undid the damage I'd done. Since then, he's defeated a number of cars. S14s, Evos, even an S2000. She's fixed his temper problem and helped him focus. His skill and the car have done the rest. I paced him on his run against the S2000 and I saw something from him I've never seen before. He's got abilities, Fumihiro. The only thing I can do right now is to defeat him and shatter his confidence. If I can do that, then Fujiwara still has a chance with the Impreza."

"You mean Nakazato would defeat Fujiwara right now?" Fumihiro asked.

"If they raced right now, I believe he would. Matsumoto is putting a new turbocharger on the FC so I can shake Nakazato's confidence and drive a wedge between him and his navigator. If I can split them and get Takeshi driving on his own, he'll be easier prey."

"Forgive me, Ryosuke, but that sounds very cold, cruel, and deliberate. That's not very sporting of you to do and it makes me uncomfortable."

"I'm sorry, Fumihiro. My time is growing short and I don't want to waste it on Nakazato. I overlooked his latent abilities, and I didn't take into account this Sayuki girl helping him. It pains me to do this, but I need to neutralize the threat he poses before Project D is derailed because of my ego."

"How is this a Project D matter? His challenge is Fujiwara, not Project D. We've already conquered Gunma. Where is the concern?" Fumihiro pressed, setting down his drink to truly concentrate on Ryosuke, who squirmed slighly in his seat.

"In truth you are correct, Fumihiro. This is not a Project D matter. However, the leader of Project D created this monster, who has targeted a member of Project D, with the intent of racing on Project D's home course. If we were to lose to Nakazato, it would undermine all of our work up to this point. Our undefeated streak would be ended by someone we'd already beaten on a course we'd already raced on. Do you see the shame inherent in that?" Ryosuke said, obviously upset with himself but still projecting a cool and calculating exterior.

"I see the shame inherent in it, Ryosuke, there is no doubt in that. But if you're so concerned about Nakazato, why not just race him yourself?" Fumihiro asked, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms in anger.

"That's become the idea, Fumihiro. It was my original intent to race Nakazato and shatter his confidence, but I doubt Fujiwara will be able to defeat Nakazato himself even if I ruin his faith in himself. I have Matsumoto installing the new turbocharger, which will give me the advantage I need to take care of him. In the meantime, I need you and Keisuke to make sure Nakazato doesn't get near Fujiwara to deliver his challenge. Is that understood?"

"Of course," Fumihiro said with a sigh.

"Wow!" Itsuki shouted, smiling widely as Takumi drifted the Impreza at full speed. The blue coupe was flying downhill faster and faster, and Fujiwara smiled as Itsuki's smile was quickly replaced with a horrified expression and a white-knuckled grip on anything solid he could find.

"This is so much faster than the hachi-roku," Itsuki said, suddenly frowning as he realized the words that had left his mouth.

"What's wrong?" Takumi asked, knowing the answer that was coming.

"It's so easy to go fast in this car. Do you miss the hachi-roku?"

"Of course I miss it," Takumi said defensively, dropping the Impreza's grippy tires into the gutter and cornering so hard Itsuki's head hit the passenger door's glass with a dull thunk.

"Sorry," he said apologetically.

"It's okay," Itsuki replied, rubbing the sore spot on his head.

"People expect me to drive fast in this car. I can drive fast, it's no problem. There's so much grip I can use. But you don't drift this car, Itsuki. You drive it with grip until it starts understeering, and then you can drift it but you're throwing away your traction by doing that. I like driving it, but there's no challenge. I wish I could race it, but Ryosuke would think so little of me if I drove such a powerful car against our competitors. It wouldn't be a race, it would be overkill." Takumi sighed, bouncing the inside tires over a curb to tighten the car's turning radius and pile on the speed coming out of the corner, setting himself up for an inertial drift through the next corner.

"I miss the challenge," Takumi said, crossing the finish in record time. Itsuki clicked the timer and felt his eyes grow huge as he saw the number displayed.

"Takumi!! Seven seconds better!"

"Good," Fujiwara said, letting go of the wheel and letting the car idle to cool down.

"You really miss the hachi-roku, don't you?" Itsuki asked quietly. "I know I would miss my Levin if I damaged it. I know sometimes I wish I had a better car to drive, something faster and stronger that would handle better, but then I look at my Levin and realize it's mine. I love it, Takumi. It's a challenge to me to get better, to drive better than the car is capable of. But you're already at that level. You deserve a stronger car, a better car. You've won so many battles with the hachi-roku, it wouldn't be a shame at all if you retired it before you get defeated."

Takumi looked at Itsuki with sad eyes, wondering who exactly was sitting in his passenger seat. The hyper over-reacting Itsuki had been replaced with someone who knew exactly how he was feeling and could voice it perfectly.

"Itsuki..." Takumi said slowly, "I don't think I've reached the hachi-roku's limits yet." Itsuki's eyes bulged wide at that, and he looked at Fujiwara closely, eagerly.

"Are you sure?" he asked.

"Yes. Ryosuke shouldn't be afraid. There's more in the hachi-roku than I can get out of it. I need improvement. I can drive faster, better. When the hachi-roku comes back, I'll practice harder than I've ever practiced before."

"You're just awesome," Nakazato said over their shared table. Sayuki giggled happily as she flicked through her pace notes.

"You just say that so I'll chip in for lunch. It looks like you're still combating understeer. We could have picked up some time here, and here," she said, pointing out two tight corners on the map.

"Hmm. I think I was off the throttle when I initiated those turns. If I turned in at full throttle the car would rotate faster," Takeshi said, emptying his cup.

"True, but then we're drifting instead of grip driving. Can you handle drift?" she asked.

"I used to drift in my old car," he replied with a twisted smile.

"What's the grin for?" she asked.

"I was defeated in my old car," he replied.

"Really? How?"

"I was driving my old S13, drift driving against a white R32 that challenged the teams on Myogi. I thought it was my chance to establish the Night Kids as the dominant team, so I accepted his challenge. I drove drift, he drove grip. I never saw someone before that drove like that. It wasn't showy, it wasn't impressive, it was just cold and deliberate. There was no way I could keep up with him. I finally spun out when my tires wore down too far and he won. I sold my S13 the next day and bought a BNR32, a black one with low kilometers on it. I drove it stock with a decent set of tires for a while, and then I started upgrading it. Suspension at first, then power. I brought the Myogi Night Kids to the forefront and we became the dominant team. That's when Shingo changed," he said bitterly, looking down into his half-empty cup.

"What changed about him?" Sayuki asked, feeling her heart open up to the battered ex-leader.

"He got that EG6 and he started getting mean. He bumped some of our guys in practice, and that's when we started clashing. Once I lost to Fujiwara, he wanted to overthrow me, but I kept things just barely in control. After the Evo and the S2000, he overthrew me in front of everyone else."

"How did he do it?" Sayuki said, reaching her hand out across the table to hold Nakazato's as the man's voice wavered.

"We had a three part battle in the rain. I should have won, but he did instead. I ripped the Night Kids sticker off my car and tore it up, threw it on the ground. I told him to watch his back."

"Not the best idea," Sayuki said, "but understandable. When are you planning to challenge Shingo and win your team back?"

"Soon. I can't decide if I should challenge Fujiwara or Shingo first. What do you think?" he asked with a smile. The two sat there quietly for a second, then started laughing.

"Aww, you had me going for a second there. I almost believed it," Sayuki snorted, leaning back in the booth to laugh harder. Nakazato grinned happily, enjoying himself completely. Maybe there was more to life than racing.

"You know me. But I don't know you. I knew you were a friend of Shingo's, but how'd this all happen?"

"You mean Mako dumping me on the curb like a sack of potatoes?" she replied, motioning to the waitress for a dessert menu.

"Something like that," he replied, fiddling with the GT-R key.

"Like I said before, she reconciled with her crush, they got together, and now they're practically living in their cars, driving around and drifting like a happy couple," Sayuki said with the faintest hint of bitterness.

"What about the Sil80? Didn't you co-own it?" Nakazato asked.

"We did, but I sold her my half. She can use it better than I can," Sayuki said sadly. "I'm better as a navigator than a driver. No one locally wants a navigator though, so I spent most of my time kicking around Usui looking for a ride."

"What about the MR2 you were talking about when I picked you up?" Takeshi said, taking a bite out of Sayuki's strawberry-laden chocolate cake. When she failed to respond, he looked up and noticed her beet-red face.

"Sayuki?" he asked.

"Ah. Well, the MR2 driver was supposed to be a date of mine, but he didn't know how to drive his car and when I told him he could shave a few seconds off his time by apexing later, he got mad. So I ditched him at the peak and was about to call Mako for a ride when I saw you."

"So you trust random R32 drivers?" Nakazato teased.

"You're not random. Shingo used to talk about you a lot before he got the EG6. Then he kept talking about you, but as someone to defeat. I was interested in meeting you when he came to warn Mako and I about the Emperor team, but you were too spaced out to say much," she said, licking her spoon. Nakazato decided not to tell her the thought that had been running through his mind at the time, which happened to be the same thought now. He shook his head to clear it and smiled.

"Well, do you think we're good enough to take a shot at Fujiwara?" he asked seriously. Sayuki flipped through her notes, her mouth set in a frown as she concentrated, weighing the possibilities.

"As long as you can keep control of your temper and not overdrive the car, we should have a shot. Do you know how much the Impreza has been modified?" she asked.

"I don't know, but it's wise to assume it isn't stock. Ryosuke desperately wanted Fujiwara to race the car, so I assume it's got plenty of work done to it. I don't think Fujiwara likes all wheel drive though, if he has to be forced into it. Maybe there's something he doesn't understand about it. At any rate, would you like to make the challenge?" he asked. After a few moments of thought she nodded.

"Let's make the challenge. Just remember, Takeshi Nakazato, to listen to me when I tell you to slow down. If you do that, then we can win," Sayuki said, holding out her hand. Nakazato took hers in his and shook. After paying, the two walked out to the GT-R. Takeshi held open the passenger door for Sayuki, who smiled bashfully at him and sat down.

"You remember the way to Akina, right?" she asked, folding up the map with a chuckle.

The two made quiet small talk on the way over, Nakazato finding himself laughing more often than he had in weeks before.

Fumihiro glanced up at the sound of an approaching car and felt fear rising inside him. He glanced over at Keisuke, who was talking on the phone with a friend.

"Hey, where's Fujiwara?" Nakazato shouted from the rolled-down window of his GT-R.

"Not here," Fumihiro replied.

"I'm here to challenge-" Nakazato said, but Fumihiro suddenly interrupted him.

"I'm here to challenge you!" he blurted out. Nakazato's eyes opened wide in surprise.

"What?" he asked in shock. Fumihiro gulped and, in a shaking voice, repeated himself.

"I'm here to challenge you." Nakazato looked at Sayuki, who pointed at Keisuke standing a few meters away on his cell phone.

"Alright," Nakazato said, "I accept your challenge. Go get your friend to make it even and let's race. Downhill, right?"

"Right," Fumihiro said, walking quickly toward Keisuke to break the news. Nakazato watched intently as the younger Takahashi brother dropped his cell phone in shock from Fumihiro's news before moving the GT-R into starting position.

"What did you do?" Keisuke shouted, staring at Fumihiro.

"Nakazato was about to make his challenge for Fujiwara. Your brother instructed me to not let that happen, so I did the first thing I could think of to stall for time. I challenged him to a downhill race. If we're lucky we can follow behind and examine his car and how it behaves," Fumihiro said, heading toward his green SW20. Keisuke shook his head, picked up his cell phone, and made one last call before getting in the MR2.

"It's a bad situation," Ryosuke said, "but not without purpose. If Fumihiro can get the rear position, it would do you well to watch Nakazato's movements. His skill has improved dramatically compared to how he was when you raced him, and his GT-R is as potent, if not more so, than your FD. If we do have to retake Gunma, he will be your opponent." Ryosuke hung up on his protesting brother and stared at his laptop screen, waiting for the analysis to finish. He had the foresight to create a simulation pitting the AE86 versus the R32, and he was eagerly awaiting the results. When the laptop chimed politely, he knew what the answer would be.

"No chance at all," he said softly, reading over the analysis. "The hachi-roku would be decimated completely. Not enough power, not enough grip. Even with Fujiwara's home course specials, it would take an act of sheer luck for him to triumph. The GT-R's wheels would need to fall off," he said, laughing bitterly.

"This is my fault," he said, standing up and dialing his cell phone.

"Matsumoto here," the mechanic replied on the other end.

"Come pick me up," Ryosuke ordered. He would have to be the one to end it.

"We would like to take the chase position," Sayuki announced. Fumihiro's face fell as his heart raced, observing the healthy young girl standing before him. Keisuke shook his head and turned to Takeshi.

"He has a completely stock MR2, Nakazato. What harm is there in letting him chase?"

"Plenty of harm, Keisuke. You wish to observe our driving style. I say you won't. Your car is underpowered compared to mine, so you go first. I'll follow you down and pass you right before the finish line," Nakazato said boldly, turning on his heel and returning to the GT-R with Sayuki.

"We've got no choice," Fumihiro said, shaking his head. The sudden chuff of a blowoff valve and the flash of headlights froze him to the spot. Keisuke turned instantly, knowing what he would see. He had heard it for far too long not to recognize his brother's FC.

"Fumihiro, step down," Ryosuke said as he approached with a practiced swagger. He turned to face the GT-R and raised his voice to be heard over the RB26DETT he himself had tuned.

"Nakazato! I'm the one you want!" he said, "I'm the one you want to beat!" The GT-R's window rolled down and Takeshi showed his face.

"Sorry Ryosuke, but you're not the top dog anymore."

"What?" Ryosuke replied, completely shocked.

"Ever since Fujiwara beat you, you've slunk away from racing and took over management instead. You can run an incredible team, but of your top two aces, you are not one of them. You trust your brother and Fujiwara and you've lost faith in yourself. Fujiwara is the legend here, he's the one that started my decline, and he is the one who I will defeat. If you want to end this, then you know what you must do. Deliver Fujiwara to me for a downhill battle. I could care less about the Takahashi Brothers of the Rotary Engine or your Project D clerk here," he spat out. Sayuki watched Nakazato with concern plainly evident on her face. He was losing his temper, and if he didn't listen to her while driving, he would lose.

Ryosuke stood there silently for a few moments, his muscles tense. Keisuke looked from his brother to Nakazato and wondered if his brother would actually strike the GT-R driver. Something inside Ryosuke switched over, and his anger was channeled into an unknown place. He picked up his cell phone and dialed the number.

"Fujiwara Tofu Shop," Takumi said sleepily, rubbing his eyes with oily hands. He had spent the entire day working on the Impreza, changing its oil, coolant, brake fluid, and spark plugs.

"Fujiwara, this is Ryosuke. Keisuke, Fumihiro, Nakazato, Sayuki and myself are at Mt. Akina. Nakazato has delivered a challenge to you, for a downhill run between you and his GT-R. Do you accept?"

"Has Matsumoto fixed my car?" Takumi asked slowly. Ryosuke turned it over in his mind. His original plan was to deny Fujiwara his 86 and force him into the Impreza. That was the purpose for this entire experiment, for tuning the GT-R and unleashing this problem on Gunma. Standing there at the top of Mt. Akina, the GT-R breathing heavily a few meters away, suddenly it didn't matter. Fujiwara must choose on his own.

"Matsumoto finished working on your car two days ago, Fujiwara. With the new valvesprings we were able to get you another thousand RPMs and surprisingly, thirty horsepower. Matsumoto and I discovered that your engine had a restriction deliberately installed to keep your power under a certain limit. We were able to remove the restriction and re-tune the car, which is where your extra power came from. It's not a lot, Fujiwara. It's not enough to defeat this GT-R. I've run the simulations and I've driven against him myself."

"You have?" Takumi asked, gripping the phone tightly.

"Do you remember how I followed you when you raced against Nakazato the first time?" Ryosuke said. "That's what I did a few days ago, when he raced against an S2000. He's got more talent and skill than he had before, Fujiwara. I was able to keep up, but he didn't know that I was behind him and I don't think I could have kept up if he did. I had your mechanic install a new turbocharger on the FC, specifically so I could defeat Nakazato and ruin his concentration."

"He wasn't that fast before," Takumi said, confused.

"Because I made him fast," Ryosuke admitted. He had started the confession, and now he was going to finish it.

"What?" Fujiwara asked.

"I made him fast, Fujiwara. I tuned his GT-R, trained him, and left one small detail to trip him up. The idea was to force you into racing the Impreza. The new cars we'll be racing against are just that, newer. They're stronger, stiffer, and better-handling from the factory. I'm reaching the limits of what I can do to your AE86. I don't want us to have to repeat any battles, because it will upset our timetable. It was my intent to force you into the Impreza against an opponent you knew, and win by so narrow a margin that you would attribute it to the Impreza and finally upgrade."

There was a long moment of stunned silence and Ryosuke wondered if he had lost Fujiwara's trust entirely.

"Ryosuke, I've been driving the Impreza on my deliveries for quite some time now. I know its limits and I know how much better than the hachi-roku it is. I wanted to battle it, but I thought you would consider me a coward for using a superior car," Takumi said, the words gushing out of him.

"Hmm," Ryosuke said. He was quiet for a moment, then began laughing, slowly at first and then loudly without reserve. Keisuke turned to look at his brother, wondering if the redirected anger had made him insane.

"Takumi, listen to me. Nakazato has a navigator named Sayuki. She used to perform the same function for a racer on Usui. She's keeping him calm and letting his skill shine through. The GT-R has been lightened and powered up, so if he can keep his cool you're going to be destroyed in the AE86. Even if he loses his mind, the GT-R will carry him over the finish lines long before you'll arrive. There is no hope for the AE86, and I won't order you to race the Impreza. Arrive in what you choose and do the best you can." Ryosuke closed his cell phone and looked at Nakazato.

"I've done what you asked of me. Fujiwara is coming." Takeshi smiled devilishly and looked at Sayuki.

"One step closer," he said happily.

"Remember to keep your cool," she reminded him.

"Hey! Old man!" Takumi shouted, looking for Bunta.

"Eh?" he asked, sticking his head into the living room.

"I need a ride."

"Why? The Impreza's right outside. You've been using it all the time without asking me and without refilling the tank, so why should things be any different now?"

"Because I've been challenged and I need to race," Takumi said nervously.

"You want to race my Impreza?" Bunta replied, setting his cigarette down.

"I don't know. The hachi-roku is at a shop. Either way I need a ride."

"Alright. Get in the car, I'll be out in a second," Bunta said with a weary sigh, picking up his keys.

The two sat in the Impreza quietly for a moment. Bunta looked at Takumi, then shrugged and started the car. The boxer engine fired up quickly and settled into a grumbling idle, a product of its less-restrictive exhaust and the other tuning that had taken place since it had decimated Takumi on Akina's downhill.

"So do you want to race this car?" Bunta asked.

"Yeah," Takumi replied, surprised at his honesty.

"I can understand that," his father replied, "it's very easy to drive fast. What is your opponent?"

"An R32 GT-R. It's been lightened and powered up. Ryosuke helped create it. He trained the person driving it, but they got angry and split. Now the driver has a girl navigating for him and keeping him calm so he doesn't screw up."

"Sounds like an ideal setup. The GT-R's weakness has always been its great weight. Reducing it is a sound step in the right direction. I'm surprised someone didn't do it sooner."

"Really?" Takumi asked, confused.

"Hmm."

"Ryosuke said that it would be impossible for me to defeat him in the hachi-roku, even though he removed a restriction in the engine and was able to make it rev higher." Bunta's eyebrows arched upward slightly at that, then returned to normal without a word.

"Could you defeat it?" Takumi asked honestly.

"Of course, but it would be a close battle," Bunta replied.

"How would you win?"

"I can't tell you, but I can show you. You've seen the lines you can take with the Impreza. Those lines are born from all wheel drive and turbo power. They're grip lines, and fast. But there are lines that the old hachi-roku can take without the restriction in place that might make it a fair battle. It would be very difficult, and extremely challenging. You would have to drive harder than you've ever driven before. One mistake would be fatal," Bunta said.

"Can you show me?" Takumi begged.

"Do we have the time? Your little friends are waiting for you," Bunta said with a smirk.

"Will it take long?"

"No. It won't take long at all. But it won't be where your friends can see."

"Where is he?" Nakazato asked impatiently.

"Just like him, waiting until the last minute," Keisuke said with a strange sense of deja vu.

"Between you and me," Fumihiro said to Ryosuke, "I'd like to see what car arrives. The Impreza or the hachi-roku."

"One is victory, the other, failure," Ryosuke replied.

"Which one is which?" Fumihiro asked, wanting clarification.

Ryosuke turned and walked away, hands in pockets, a frustrated look on his face. Nakazato watched him walk away, then shut off the GT-R and reclined his seat, a smile on his face.

"So Sayuki, would you like to keep this up after Fujiwara and Shingo?" he asked.

"I think so," she replied, reclining her seat back and closing her eyes.

"I hope so. It's always nice to have a cute girl nearby," Nakazato said, hands behind his head.

"So you think I'm cute, huh?" she replied with a smile.

"I'd have to be dead not to notice," he answered.

"You going to take me out to dinner after this race?" she asked.

"Shall I call it a date?"

"You could," Sayuki said, closing her eyes again.

"He's here!" Fumihiro shouted. Ryosuke and Keisuke spun around in unison, staring at the headlights that rapidly approached.

"Foolish," Ryosuke said as he recognized the light pattern.

"Brave," Keisuke replied.

"Maybe both," Nakazato said as he appeared behind them, jingling his keys happily.

"Are you ready?" Fujiwara asked, visibly shaken.

"Takumi, are you alright?" Ryosuke asked, checking his pulse.

"I'll be fine," he said unevenly.

"I don't want you explaining a loss on a technicality. Race if you're ready, but don't get in that car to drive against me unless you can give it your all," Nakazato said in a warning voice. Takumi sat down suddenly and put his head in his hands. Ryosuke knelt down and whispered a few words to Fujiwara, who began to calm down.

"Are you alright?" Keisuke asked, surprised at the shaken Takumi. He had never seen the young man lose his cool so badly before, or act so erratically.

"I'll be fine, I'll be fine," Takumi said, putting a hand on the AE86's front fender to help himself up off the ground. Ryosuke held him up straight and braced him as Fujiwara swayed from side to side slightly.

"What's wrong with him?" Fumihiro asked, concern plainly evident on his face. Keisuke shrugged his shoulders and looked at the AE86, shaking his head.

"I don't know, but something's wrong with him to bring the hachi-roku. I will admit though, that I was hoping he would bring it. There's something right about Fujiwara and the AE86. I hate to see him lose, but it will be an amazing battle," Keisuke said, sighing.

Ryosuke was talking quietly with Fujiwara, but he stood up quickly and began pacing rapidly after Takumi said something to him. Keisuke's eyes narrowed and he walked over.

"What's wrong, bro?" he asked.

"Nothing's wrong, Keisuke. Things might be very, very right," Ryosuke responded, rubbing his hands together briskly as he smiled.

"What do you mean, bro?"

"I'll tell you later. We should observe this race from the VIP seat." As Ryosuke and Keisuke made their way to Ryosuke's potent FC, Takumi approached Nakazato and Sayuki shakily and stood in front them, wavering slightly.

"Are you sick?" Sayuki asked. "You look like you're going to barf."

"No, I'm okay," Takumi responded faintly.

"When I defeat you in this battle, I don't want to hear you asking for a rematch. This is the race, Fujiwara. Mt. Akina's downhill, all out, full speed. First across the finish line wins. Is that acceptable to you?" Nakazato asked, arms folded across his chest.

"You've got a lot more power than I do," Fujiwara said.

"Take the challenge or leave it," Nakazato replied.

"In that case, I leave it," Takumi replied, walking away.

"What? You can't walk away!" Nakazato shouted, chasing after Fujiwara.

"Yes, I can," Takumi replied. "A 270 HP AE86 versus a 475 HP GT-R? Even Ryosuke's FC would have difficulty keeping up with you. Chase me and overtake me if you want any honor in winning," Fujiwara said, walking away.

Nakazato looked at Sayuki, who nodded her consent.

"Fujiwara! We'll chase." Takumi smiled slightly and walked over to Ryosuke, who was leaning against his car, eyes closed.

"I never thought you would be good at mind games, Fujiwara, but you continue to impress me," Ryosuke said, opening his eyes and smiling.

"I had a crash course in manipulation. Ryosuke, this is the final test for my hachi-roku. If I don't win, then I'll retire the AE86 and switch to an Impreza. You have my word," Fujiwara said, holding out his hand. Ryosuke shook it and sighed.

"If Nakazato leads an uprising of Gunma against Project D, you had better make quick work of them," Ryosuke said with a laugh as he opened the door of his FC.

"Racers!" Fumihiro shouted, taking his place as the starter.

"Ready?" Nakazato asked Sayuki as he shifted the GT-R into gear. She smiled at him and giggled.

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be. Now remember to listen to me and not get wrapped up in yourself, okay?" she said seriously. Nakazato nodded firmly.

"Of course. I won't lose, thanks to you." The monstrous GT-R pulled forward, its engine idling smoothly with incredible power.

"Keisuke, hurry up," Ryosuke shouted as he pulled the FC up to the line. Takumi and his AE86 drove to the very front of the line and pulled to a stop, engine idling lumpily from its aggressive cams.

"Three! Two! One! GO!" Fumihiro shouted, dodging out of the way as fast as he could. Takumi's hachi-roku shot away from the line instantly, its individual throttle bodies gulping in air as fast as the engine could devour it. Nakazato's menacing GT-R launched from the line with all four tires screaming for traction, and Ryosuke's FC rocket-started immediately afterward. The three cars accelerated madly, effortlessly hurtling downhill without regard for safety.

"Bro, what did Fujiwara say to you?" Keisuke asked, bracing his knees against the door and center console to keep from being thrown around.

"He said that his father took him in the hachi-roku before this battle to show him a racing line on Mt. Akina that would almost guarantee a win, but warned him that it would be fatal if he made a single false move. He was shaking because he had just absorbed the Incredible Line. I'm relying on his ability to drive that line and challenge Nakazato, maybe break his concentration and win," Ryosuke said, turning the FC into the first corner. Keisuke felt his head grow heavy as the g-forces piled on, threatening to bump his head into the window from the speed of cornering.

Nakazato glanced in his mirror at Ryosuke's FC, shook his head, and looked ahead to focus on Takumi's AE86.

"He's driving differently," Sayuki said, flipping through a few notes.

"I noticed. How can we compensate?"

"Don't compensate just yet. This is a battle of attrition, Nakazato, and he's racing without reserve. Manage your tires and brakes. Use your power and grip to pass him," she said, bracing herself as the R32 hurled through a tight left-hand corner at full speed.

Takumi began to sweat, feeling incredibly nervous as he pushed the hachi-roku harder than he ever had before. The Impreza had felt incredibly stable and powerful through these corners, the all wheel drive traction pulling him through at tremendous speed, but in the rear wheel drive hachi-roku, it felt as if the car was balancing on its toes and the tires were barely gripping. With the extra power and higher rev limit of the retuned engine he was able to keep the throttle open longer, but the tires were almost at their maximum amount of traction. The AE86 drifted outward through a curving right-hander as its engine overpowered the tires, veering wider and wider from the Incredible Line.

Nakazato's eyes opened wide.

"Sayuki!" he shouted.

"Go!" she replied. In an instant Takeshi floored the GT-R and cut inside of the understeering 86, the GT-R's outside tires thumping into the gutter and pulling him through. Takumi watched the GT-R pass him by and felt the anger rising inside him. That taunting evil black GT-R was accelerating away and there was very little he could do.

"I have to follow the line," he said to himself, shifting down to get more power and opening the throttle. Ignoring his fear, he kept the throttle open and dove into the next corner, the hachi-roku drifting itself.

"Grip will win this race, not drift," Nakazato said as he looked in his mirror.

"Don't look at him," Sayuki chided. "Pay attention to the course. Manage your tires. Forge ahead, don't go crazy."

"Bro, has Fujiwara finally blown it?" Keisuke asked. Ryosuke was silent as he manipulated the FC, forcing it through the corner faster than it wanted to go.

"Brother? Ryosuke?" Keisuke asked before shutting up. If his brother was being pushed that hard so soon, it was a difficult battle. He could feel the g-forces washing over him, pulling at his stomach and making him feel queasy.

"Please be quiet for the rest of the battle, Keisuke. I'll explain everything when it's over," he managed in short terse words. Keisuke noticed a bead of sweat appearing on Ryosuke's forehead and bit his tongue.

Takumi felt the desperation rising inside him as the GT-R pulled farther and farther away.

"I should have taken the Impreza," he said, the words bitter in his mouth. The hachi-roku's engine hiccuped as he said it, as if in reproach. His father's words came flashing back to him and he spoke them aloud as he drove.

"There are lines that the old hachi-roku can take without the restriction in place that might make it a fair battle. It would be very difficult, and extremely challenging. You would have to drive harder than you've ever driven before. One mistake would be fatal." He pushed hard to get the 86 back on the line his father had shown him and began to fight again, rapidly picking up his pace.

"He's gaining on us," Sayuki said, glancing in the rear view mirror.

"I expected as much. Fujiwara's known for his amazing comebacks. I just need to hold him off. We're halfway through the course, aren't we?" he asked.

"Yeah. We've left behind the gentle slope and low-speed corners. We've got a lot of tight stuff at steep angles coming up ahead. You've done a good job of managing the tire wear so far. Just keep your cool no matter how close he gets, and you'll be able to go all out in the last few corners where it really matters. If you wait until I tell you to, you can make an all-out attack at the final place you can pass on Mt. Akina, so don't worry if he overtakes you. Just keep him within a few car lengths," Sayuki said, smiling at Nakazato. He smiled back at her and kept his incredible pace.

"This is where I can make my attack," Fujiwara said. The days of driving nothing but the Impreza were wearing away, and he felt more and more comfortable with the grip of the AE86. He pushed harder and harder, and suddenly it fell into the groove.

"Alright!" he shouted, pushing the gas pedal to the floor. The 86 began to devour the gap and rapidly caught up to the GT-R. Drifting into a tight right-hander, Takumi felt his front bumper graze Nakazato's rear bumper and shrugged. Diving inside at the next turn, he ran his inside wheels over the grass and launched the car off of an old worn stone, hooking it in tight for the next turn.

"Shit!" Nakazato spat, watching the hachi-roku's antics. Sayuki stared in shock, temporarily silent.

"He launched his car off that rock in order to hook it for the next turn when he landed," she said, stunned. The GT-R kept forging ahead, doggedly sticking to the hachi-roku's bumper. Behind, in the FC, Keisuke opened his mouth to speak but instantly shut it. Ryosuke was driving the FC harder than he ever had before, eating away into his reserves. There would be little room for error and an even smaller chance for recovery. Suddenly his mind opened up and he spoke to Keisuke.

"When Matsumoto tore down the engine to install the new valvesprings, he discovered two restrictions intentionally placed there to limit its power. One was the intake manifold gasket, and the other was the exhaust manifold gasket. On a normal engine the gasket ports are slightly oversized compared to the intake and exhaust ports on the cylinder head, to compensate for casting imperfections. On this engine, which should have been optimized completely for Group A racing, the ports on the gaskets were undersized by a decent amount, choking flow into and out of the engine and reducing its power. With such a highly tuned motor, removing those restrictions and retuning for a higher rev limit unlocked more power. Fujiwara's new driving style reflects that. Notice how he's keeping the throttle open longer on the turns, keeping his drift angle low for maximum speed. I would hate to be Nakazato right now," he said with a laugh, drifting the FC through the corner with its bumper mere centimeters from the guard rail. Keisuke felt chills race up his spine as he realized how close his brother was flirting with disaster.

The three cars barreled down one of the remaining straightaways at full speed, the GT-R overtaking Takumi's 86 with ease. Ryosuke's FC closed the gap quickly, and the three cars entered the next turn nose to tail. Nakazato tapped his brakes and dove into the left hand turn at full speed, relying on the GT-R's massive grip to pull him through. Takumi initiated his drift, opening up the throttle completely and holding it pinned, using his left foot to tap the brakes and balance the load to his suspension. At the end of the turn he downshifted and wound out the powerful engine to its new 12,000 RPM redline, making full use of its 270 HP as he caught up to the GT-R.

"The five hairpins are coming up ahead," Sayuki said. "You've saved the grip of your tires well, so you can attack these hairpins with everything you have. Don't hold back, Nakazato." Takeshi smiled and buried the throttle, forcing the GT-R's tires into the gutter to give him more grip. Behind him, Takumi smiled and did the same, the engine singing at 11,500 RPMs as he whipped through. Ryosuke dropped his own tires and cursed under his breath as he heard his chassis grind on a few high points of the road.

"Too low," Ryosuke said, letting the FC hop out of the gutter.

"The curse of a well-modified performance car," Keisuke joked.

"Bested by a Corolla," Ryosuke laughed, altering his drift angle and rocketing toward Takumi's rear bumper, using the full potential of his new turbocharger to achieve the feat.

Takumi hooked the gutter again, centimeters from Nakazato's rear bumper as the two whipped through the second hairpin. The third and fourth passed the same, fractions of a centimeter separating the massively different cars. The fifth hairpin showed itself and Takumi jumped inside, riding over the gutter and planting his inside tires firmly in the grass, his outer tires in the gutter. The 86 creaked and groaned as its chassis flexed under the incredible strain, but Takumi forced the car to hang on. Sayuki stared out her window in amazement as the Corolla, barely balanced, passed the GT-R on the inside and, threatening to flip over, popped out of the gutter and landed with a solid thump lined up perfectly for the next corner.

"Damnit!" Nakazato swore, punching the accelerator. The R32's rear end began to swing out but Sayuki screamed two words over the roar of the engine.

"Slow down!" Takeshi let off the gas for a moment and the GT-R's rear tires hooked up again, regaining their traction and pointing the GT-R in the proper direction. Once the powerful car was in a straight line he fed in the throttle, devouring the ground he had lost to the all-conquering AE86.

"He's driving like he did when he raced against Shingo," Nakazato said as he urged the R32 on with all his might. Sayuki looked ahead at the flying shape of the hachi-roku, its front bumper ripping leaves from the overhanging branches as it drifted incredibly close to the guard rails.

"He's incredible, whatever he is. When he drove against Mako, she raced without any safety reserve at all and she just barely kept the lead. You've done incredibly against him, Nakazato. We have one last place to overtake him, the corner where you and Shingo were watching during Takumi's race against Ryosuke. The road narrows down, so whoever's in front will retain that position for the rest of the race. You've kept enough grip in your tires to make your attack."

The three cars dove into the deciding corner, Takumi's 86 in the lead, Nakazato's GT-R trailing centimeters behind, and Ryosuke's FC breathing down Nakazato's neck.

"He overcooked the corner," Ryosuke said in shock. Takumi's hachi-roku swung wide at first, but then it's line altered, sharpening, sucking it toward the inside wall at incredible speed and fully blocking the GT-R from making its pass.

"Monstrous drift," Sayuki whispered, shocked at the sight.

"He never even used his brakes," Nakazato replied, too stunned at the sight to do anything other than imagine the pure skill displayed in front of him. The three cars passed over the finish line in the exact order they had left, mere centimeters separating them.

"Congratulations, Takumi," Nakazato said as he got out of the R32.

"Thank you," Fujiwara replied, shaking his hand.

"What was that drift you used at the end?" Sayuki asked, still astonished.

"Monstrous drift," Takumi replied. "My father showed it to me. It's the ultimate drift the hachi-roku is capable of."

"Fujiwara, that was amazing," Keisuke said as he walked over.

"Thanks," he replied bashfully. Ryosuke held out his hand, shook Fujiwara's, and then looked at the hachi-roku with contemplative eyes.

"You were capable of something that car shouldn't be able to do, Fujiwara. You should be proud. You've proved your point, the AE86 is still competitive."

"It's still competitive, but I'd like to try the Impreza next time anyway," Takumi replied bashfully.

"Oh?"

"That took it out of me more than any other race I've ever been in. I can't drift at that level consistently, Ryosuke. It would kill me. If you need me to drive at that level, then I'll need to switch to the Impreza. I don't think I can do that again."

"I'll respect any decision you make, Fujiwara, but remember that use makes master."

Nakazato looked into Sayuki's eyes and smiled as he held her hands.

"I wouldn't have been able to do this without your help," he said softly.

"Just promise me that you'll defeat Shingo," she asked, giving him a celebratory hug.

"I'll do my best. We'll do our best, right?"

"I don't know if I should ride with you against Shingo. He's an old friend of mine, Nakazato. I'm not sure."

"What do you mean you're not sure, Sayuki? You've just helped me almost defeat Fujiwara Takumi. If I were a little more aggressive I could have made it. Please keep being my navigator. We're good together," Nakazato pleaded.

"You and those eyes," she said with a laugh. "Alright. First take me to dinner, and then we need a few days to prep the R32, and then we can challenge him. Takumi, good job! Watch your back for us in the future, we'll get our win eventually," she said, taking Nakazato's hand and returning to the GT-R. Ryosuke glanced at the retreating pair, then at his brother and Fujiwara.

"An interesting development in Gunma," he said.

"Let's go pick up Fumihiro and head to a diner," Keisuke said, "I'm starved. I'll pay for it."

Shingo leaned back in his booth at the diner and smiled at the face of his team mate across the table.

"Another straight win for the Myogi Night Kids. I love the power of my new B18C. We're feared now, like we used to be before Takeshi screwed it all up," he said with a vicious smile.

"That's because you keep destroying the other driver's car. You ruined a door on the girl's S14, a quarter panel on the Evo, bumpers on the S13 and S15 from last week... I don't need to go on. You're making people afraid to race us because they don't want to smash up their cars. We're getting tired of it," Shingo's team mate said, rising to leave. Shingo watched him go with venomous eyes, eyes that soon latched onto a horrifying sight. Nakazato was sitting one table away, smiling and talking to a brunette girl that looked oddly familiar.

With a shiver, Shingo realized Nakazato was chatting with Sayuki, and the two were obviously on a date. His former leader looked happy and confident, at ease with himself and in control of the situation, a remarkable difference from the last time Shingo saw him with Sayuki, an awkward and silent mess. Shingo ground his teeth in anger, then left suddenly. As he passed by Nakazato's table, he paused for a single moment and looked at Nakazato with dangerous eyes.

"Stay away from Myogi," was all Shingo could say.

Nakazato watched him go and looked back at Sayuki with something changed in his eyes.

"When I challenge Shingo, let me challenge him alone."

"What? Why?" Sayuki asked, confused and more than a little hurt.

"Shingo doesn't play fair. I don't want you to get hurt by him," Nakazato replied truthfully.

"I appreciate the sentiment, baka, but how are you supposed to win if I'm not there to keep you calm? The GT-R is still understeering and we can't dial it out with any amount of tuning," Sayuki said, surprised at herself for feeling like she could cry.

"I'll do my best. I'll probably lose, but I'll try. I don't want you to get hurt, and I know he'll try something desperate to stop me," Takeshi said, reaching out across the table to hold her hand.

"Race with me or don't race, Nakazato. I don't want to get dumped on the sidewalk every time you come up against a dangerous opponent. Whatever your feelings are for me, don't shoot yourself in the foot by ditching me. Let me help you and together we can win," Sayuki said passionately, squeezing his hand hard enough to make it hurt.

"Please, Nakazato, don't throw me on the sidewalk. Keep me in the passenger seat as your navigator."

"If you get hurt, I'll never forgive myself," he replied with a heavy sigh.

"Then we'll just have to race faster than he can catch up," she answered.

"If that's the case, then we need to pay a visit to a rumor," he said, standing up from the table.

"A rumor?" Sayuki replied, grabbing her bag to follow him.

"Project D raced a GT-R with an understeering problem and almost lost to him. I think he could show us a lesson or two."

At another table in the diner, Ryosuke and the other members of Project D were resting. Fujiwara sipped from his cup and set it back down, looking at the table in a daze.

"Still unable to believe it?" Keisuke asked.

"Maybe," Fujiwara replied. "I don't think I'll ever race that well again. I was scared. That's the first time I've been scared of my own driving in at least five years," he said honestly, looking up at Ryosuke across the table.

"Hmm. Nakazato and Sayuki just left after Shingo. I think I'll have another race to watch," Ryosuke said as he lifted his cup to drink.

"Tonight? After our match? He'd be an idiot to try it without tending to his precious R," Keisuke retorted.

"Not tonight, but soon. What kind of information do we have on Shingo, Fumihiro?" Ryosuke asked. Fumihiro leaned back in the booth and thought carefully.

"Kenta has some tapes of a few of his recent races, and I think one of the Red Suns timed his last downhill run. Are you thinking of challenging him as well?" Fumihiro asked.

"No," Ryosuke replied. "But it would be an effective tactic for Shingo to be twice-defeated in one night. Nakazato would be able to overthrow him easier and neutralize any threat from the Myogi Night Kids. You'll have to forgive me," he said affably to Keisuke and Fujiwara, "but I have to think of damage control."

"Who will challenge him if you won't?" Keisuke asked. Ryosuke's eyes rested on Fujiwara, who slowly set down his cup with a rattle in the saucer and began to shake his head.

"Ryosuke-san, please, anyone else. The last time I raced against him he made me mad. I damaged the hachi-roku's bodywork and had to pay for it. I don't think I could race against him in the 86 again." Suddenly, with a tremendous sinking feeling, Fujiwara realized what Ryosuke was implying.

"You want me to race the Impreza?" he asked.

"Yes. I want you to race the Impreza against Shingo's EG6. Do you realize how few times you've challenged someone in your street racing career? You can catch him now, if you hurry. Race him on Myogi and then let Nakazato know."

Fujiwara left the table and walked outside just in time to catch the red EG6 making its way across the parking lot. Ryosuke watched intently as Fujiwara leaned down to speak with Shingo, and the surprisingly ugly expression on Shingo's face. Takumi came back into the diner, spoke with Nakazato in passing, and then sat down again.

"Well? Keisuke asked, on edge.

"He accepted," Takumi said.

"And Nakazato?" Ryosuke wondered.

"Nakazato was very concerned about when it was to take place. He left quickly, speaking of going to Ibaraki to speak with someone," Fujiwara said, picking up a glass of water.

"Hoshino," Ryosuke said softly, getting up and leaving immediately.

"What was that about?" Keisuke asked. Fujiwara shrugged his shoulders.

"Wasn't Hoshino the person with the R34 GT-R?" Fumihiro asked. "Could Nakazato be going to ask for his advice on the next race?"

"It's possible," Keisuke said, standing up to leave. "Let's get some sleep. Fujiwara, good driving," he said over his shoulder as he left.

"I don't think I'll ever be able to drive like that again," Fujiwara said finally as he and Fumihiro lingered behind in the parking lot.

"You keep saying that, but now that you've done it once, I don't see why you can't do it again," Fumihiro replied, stopping at his car.

"I'm looking forward to using the Impreza for this next race," Takumi said before leaving. Fumihiro shook his head and sat down in his car, started it up, and sighed.

"He just won't accept that he's a good driver," he said to the empty seat beside him.

Takumi sat down in the hachi-roku and put his hands on the wheel. He sat there, running over Akina's downhill in his mind and moving his hands across the steering wheel as he tried to remember the line he had taken. His mind analyzed the feel of the car and the line it had actually taken, and he began looking for ways to improve it. Takumi's eyes suddenly snapped open and he leaned back in his seat, hands shaking.

"I can go faster."

"Shingo! I challenge you to a downhill battle!" Nakazato roared, clad in black and standing defiant in the pouring rain. The evil GT-R hulked behind him, steam rising from its hood as the cold rain vaporized on contact. Sayuki stood behind her open door, defiant and ready. Shingo raised his head, brushed the hair out of his eyes and looked at his former leader.

"You think you're good enough to challenge me? In a car built by Ryosuke, helped by a girl? Do you think that's enough to overcome your shitty driving" Shingo sneered, stepping forward from the dark.

"Why don't you get in your car and find out," Nakazato threatened quietly. The other members of the Myogi Night Kids slunk back, afraid of the outcome. They had supported Takeshi at first, and then the majority had defected with Shingo, who had almost completely ruined their reputation and cost them numerous battles with his dirty racing.

"What do you say?" Shingo asked, turning to his team mates.

"The winner is our leader," a voice said out of the darkness. Shingo growled out a curse from curled lips and then turned on Nakazato.

"Fine! We'll race. Downhill. Winner leads the Night Kids," Shingo said, turning to get into his car.

"Just one word of advice, Nakazato," he added, "you better find a good bodyshop."

"Do you think we're too late?" Itsuki asked from the back seat of the Impreza. Takumi shook his head and pointed out the front window, more for Iketani's benefit than anything else.

"The red EG6 is Shingo's, and the R32 is Nakazato's. They haven't left yet, they're still staging. We have time. I just hope Ryosuke and Keisuke show up soon," he added, pulling the Impreza off the road and into a small parking lot.

The EG6's tires screamed suddenly as it shot off downhill, the R32 following instantly, it's all wheel drive lunging it forward without a sound.

"Nakazato has learned incredible throttle control to do that," Fujiwara said, intensely surprised. Ryosuke's white FC appeared soon after, the Takahashi brothers inside.

"Have they left yet?" Keisuke asked through his rolled-down window.

"Just now," Takumi replied.

"Fujiwara, you have your Impreza? Let me drive it, we need to see this battle up close," Ryosuke said, parking the FC and running through the rain. Takumi tossed the keys over and looked at Iketani and Itsuki, who immediately bailed out.

The Impreza took off like a shot, Ryosuke's eyebrows rising sharply at the car's initial reaction.

"I'm sorry for being late, Fujiwara, but we were caught in a traffic jam. The downpour was responsible for two cars losing control on the highway. I wanted to get here sooner so I could speak with Nakazato and persuade him to think otherwise, but it's too late now. All we can do is watch," he said, wringing the utmost power from the Impreza's engine with every shift. Keisuke and Takumi could feel their bodies straining against their seatbelts as the blue coupe plunged down the slope.

"I didn't know you knew how to drive all wheel drive, bro," Keisuke said in surprise as the Impreza drifted through a series of corners at an insane level of speed.

"Kyouichi and I have a long history," Ryosuke replied cryptically. Finally a glimpse of red could be seen at the very edge of the Impreza's headlights, and after a few corners the two cars could be seen. Ryosuke frowned as he saw the scene unfolding before him. The red EG6 was missing a headlight and had a damaged front bumper, while the rear of the GT-R was covered in red paint and cracks from multiple impacts. As Nakazato turned through one corner Takumi saw to his shock a long red smear down the side of the GT-R where it looked as if Shingo had sideswiped the bigger car in a desperate attempt to win.

"I expected as much," Ryosuke said, breaking the shocked silence.

"How do you mean?" Keisuke asked, surprised at his brother and more than a little annoyed that nothing seemed to shock him or slow him down.

"Nakazato and Shingo have long been adversaries. They were able to interact politely for a while when Kyouichi's Evolutions appeared, but all-out war will make friends of enemies. With the outside danger removed, the two would fight and bicker more and more, until they would be unable to battle together. Shingo took control of the Night Kids and rejected Nakazato," Ryosuke said, pausing to drift the Impreza through a particularly difficult corner.

"I used Nakazato to create a situation that would force Fujiwara into racing this car, but it got out of control. Nakazato found the one element he needed to calm himself and unleash his true driving potential, that girl in the passenger seat. But there are still problems. He can't control the GT-R's understeer like he wants to, and he needs control of the Night Kids."

The R32 dove into another corner, Nakazato fighting brilliantly under pressure. The EG6 didn't even slow down, instead plowing into the rear of the R32 in an attempt to destabilize it.

"Damnit Shingo!" Sayuki shouted, pulling the hair out of her eyes as yet another impact knocked her forward.

"He's not making it easy," Nakazato grunted, fighting the onset of understeer.

"I thought he wouldn't hit us if I were in the car, but I guess that isn't the case. What a great friend he is," Sayuki said, shaking her head.

"Are you ready?" she asked.

"I think so. It's understeering pretty badly," Takeshi said.

"Grip for two more corners and then unleash it," she replied.

"What worried me was when Nakazato mentioned Hoshino's name," Ryosuke said, hitting the Impreza's brakes hard to avoid hitting the raging EG6.

"The fat old R34 driver?" Keisuke asked. "What's wrong with him?"

"Nothing's wrong with him," Takumi said suddenly.

"That's right," Ryosuke said with a smile. "Hoshino had Nakazato's answer. In your battle against him, Keisuke, Hoshino started drifting his R34 as a way of coping with tire wear and understeer. An unconventional method, but it almost resulted in triumph for him. There's an eighty percent chance that Nakazato will start drifting the R32 in the next two corners," he said, turning the Impreza's wheel quickly to dive for the inside line.

"Fujiwara, I like how your father tuned this vehicle. I'd like to speak with him sometime," Ryosuke said, putting more space between the blue Impreza and the red EG6. Takumi nodded, bracing himself against the door as the Impreza rocketed through another corner. Ryosuke chuckled happily as the R32's tail began to step out.

"End of the second corner, his drifting has begun," Ryosuke said.

"Do you think it will work?" Keisuke asked.

"All he needs to do is put a gap between him and the EG6. It should work well enough for that," Ryosuke replied. He looked at the R32's damaged body panels and cringed inside. All that money and effort had been ruined by a hotheaded punk in a Civic inside of five minutes.

"But Ryosuke, won't the rain make things difficult?" Takumi asked, his eyes fascinated with the sliding GT-R's form as it dodged another one of Shingo's attacks.

"No. The rain is Nakazato's friend. The reduced traction of the road allows him to drift his car more easily than if it were dry, and it also favors his all wheel drive as opposed to the EG6's front wheel drive. The only area where the EG6 excels would be in braking, but the driver in that car doesn't have any coherent racing line. He's just trying to spin out Nakazato. Fujiwara, may I do something with your Impreza?" he asked. Takumi nodded, unsure of what else could be done. Ryosuke suddenly floored the car and shot forward, bringing the Impreza alongside the EG6 in a heartbeat. Ryosuke swerved closer to the EG6, then fell back, gently tapping the Civic's bumper as he pulled back into place. Fujiwara forced his white-knuckled hands to relax as he heard Keisuke force himself to breathe.

"Kuso! Who does that Impreza think he is?" Shingo growled, thumping his hand on the steering wheel. Still, it was a clear sign that whoever they were, they wanted a clean battle. Shingo forced himself to calm down and think quickly over his options.

"I'm lighter, I have decent traction, I can brake deeper into the corners. My plan should be to attack him in a corner where he drifts, try and cut inside," he said, downshifting to spin the B18C up into its max power range.

"I couldn't kill you, Nakazato, so I'll just humiliate you instead," he said, preparing for the attack.

"Drift!" Sayuki shouted, watching intently as Nakazato forced the Skyline to carve a perfect curve through the corner, helped in no small part by the disabled ATTESA-ETS.

"I knew I wouldn't be able to learn his technique in a few days," Nakazato said, "but I never thought it would be possible to drift this car, even with the ATTESA disabled. What did you think of Hoshino?" he asked as the GT-R cut through another corner, its large body successfully blocking Shingo from passing.

"Fat but cheerful," Sayuki replied. "Bring it to within 15cm of the inside guard rail. Watch out for the puddle," she said as the GT-R screamed through the turn. Nakazato's front inside wheel caught the edge of the puddle, violently correcting the drift and opening up the inside enough for Shingo to force his red EG6 through at demonic speed, two wheels in the mud and two within centimeters of Nakazato's door.

"Damnit!" Takeshi swore, but he kept his cool. Sayuki was impressed with his self-control and smiled happily.

"A week ago you would have floored it to keep up, lost control of the car, and spun out," she said. "I'm impressed. We'll have two more chances to pass him. Both are dangerous, but it can be done if you drift."

"After I sold my S13 I never thought I would drift again," Takeshi admitted bashfully. Still, as the next corner approached he hit the brakes, turned the wheel sharply, buried the throttle and began countersteering as he sent the powerful GT-R blazing through the turn. Straightening up the wheel and feathering the throttle he shot down the short straightaway, catching up with Shingo's far less powerful EG6. There was no way a naturally aspirated 1.8 liter four cylinder could out-accelerate a turbocharged 2.6 liter inline six making far more power.

As the turn rapidly approached, Sayuki began barking directions. The GT-R shifted in its line, setting up for an overtaking turn that would humiliate the EG6. At the entry point both cars hit the brakes, Shingo releasing quickly thanks to his light weight, Nakazato releasing at the same time to initiate his drift. The two cars screamed through the turn, water spray everywhere, and exited side by side.

"Can you keep up with my R?" Nakazato asked, taunting Shingo as he depressed the accelerator and pulled ahead thanks to his superior traction and power. The R32 pulled ahead and dove into the next corner, drifting through with ease. Shingo, full of despair, forced his EG6 to dive deep into the turn, but it was no use. His hot entry forced his car into understeer, and he watched in horror as his Civic missed the turn and plowed into the mud and muck on the side of the road.

Ryosuke swung the steering wheel sharply, sending the Impreza sliding past the Civic as it plunged off the road and down the steep embankment.

"Where did he go?" Keisuke asked, frantically looking through the windows to find the red hatchback. A sudden forceful application of the brakes by Ryosuke brought everyone's attention to the front, where Shingo's EG6 could be seen crashing into the road just before Nakazato's R32. The black Skyline turned to avoid the wrecked hatchback but the GT-R, as wide as it was, clipped the EG6 and sent the two cars straight into the wall. Ryosuke stopped the Impreza and the three ran over in the rain, afraid of what they would find.

"My GT-R spun out farther down the road than your EG6," Nakazato was saying, carrying a pale Sayuki in his arms. Shingo pulled himself out of the mangled remains of his car, touched a hand to the blood that was flowing freely down his face from a cut across his forehead and shook his head.

"Are you alright?" Nakazato asked, looking down at Sayuki. She smiled weakly up at him and nodded.

"Mostly shock, but my ankle hurts," she said, avoiding her eyes from the blood-soaked sock of her left foot.

"We'll get you to a hospital, don't worry," Ryosuke said, handing Fujiwara the Impreza's keys.

"Take her to the hospital, and Shingo. Nakazato, are you hurt at all?" he asked, clearly concerned for the man. Takeshi sighed, looked up into the cloudy night sky and let the rain wash the grime and blood from his face as he stood there with his hands in his pockets.

"My GT-R will never drive again. The block is cracked, and the body is twisted badly. I want to thank you, Ryosuke, for your money and your efforts. I'm sorry that I failed to uphold your end of the bargain," he said sorrowfully, but he gave a wry smile.

"At least I beat Shingo. The Night Kids are mine once more, although I don't know what they'll do with a leader that has no car." He helped Sayuki into the Impreza, kissed her on the forehead, and then shut the door carefully before returning to Ryosuke.

"You did well for the chances you were given," Ryosuke said, patting the man on the back. "As far as a car goes, I'm sure between the two of us, we can turn something up that would suit you," Ryosuke offered. It was a large offer, but Ryosuke made it to clean his guilty conscience. Nakazato shook his head at the offer and reached out a shaking hand to touch one of the shattered carbon fiber fenders of the GT-R. He withdrew his hand quickly, hissing in pain.

"It cut me," he said, looking at the blood that flowed from his fingers. "I had as much blood in this car as it did in me," he said finally. "I could have treated my R much better than I did. What a pathetic end for such an incredible car," he said, sucking his finger to stop the bleeding.

"I'll call Fumihiro and get a wrecker down here for your cars," Ryosuke said, walking away with his cell phone. Keisuke walked up and looked from the mangled remains of the EG6 and the GT-R over to Nakazato and at the rapidly-diminishing Impreza as it accelerated downhill toward the hospital. Finally he held out his hand to shake Takeshi's.

"What's this for?" Nakazato asked suspiciously.

"Sympathy," Keisuke replied. The two shook hands for a second and then stood there awkwardly, looking at the mess. Nakazato watched as a thick river of oil from the GT-R trickled through the rain on the pavement and touched his shoe before speaking again.

"I was worried for Sayuki," he said. Keisuke stood silently for a few moments before replying in slow, carefully chosen words.

"My last girlfriend, I took her for a ride once and we spun out. She hated it, didn't want to go driving with me anymore and wanted me to stop, for her peace of mind. I couldn't, so we parted. I was afraid of that situation repeating when another girl showed interest in me, so I buried myself in Project D and pushed her away. Now I'm regretting that. I learned from your mistakes, Nakazato. Learn from mine," he said, walking away to join his brother and a newly-arrived Fumihiro.

Nakazato looked at the shattered remains of his R32 and sighed heavily. A destroyed car, an injured navigator, but Shingo had been defeated and the Night Kids were his once more. Pausing for a second he reached for his cell phone, but it had been crushed in the crash. He walked over to Fumihiro and borrowed his, making the call to one of the members at the top of Myogi.

"Shingo has been defeated." The voice on the other line spoke with quiet certainty, and more than a hint of relief.

"The Night Kids are yours, Takeshi Nakazato." Nakazato folded up the phone and handed it back to Fumihiro, and as he watched the wrecker winch the mangled remains of his R32 off the road, he shook his head.

"At what price?"

"So what did they say about your ankle?" Nakazato asked as he sat uncomfortably on the edge of his chair in the antiseptic hospital room.

"Twisted, with a shard of carbon fiber embedded in it," Sayuki replied, shifting painfully on the bed to look at him better. "I guess I liked your car so much I wanted to keep a piece of it with me forever," she said with a half-hearted chuckle before leaning back and closing her eyes.

"Are you in a lot of pain?" he asked, concerned for her.

"A decent amount. When I find Shingo I'm going to kill him for destroying your R32 and giving me this throbbing pain in my ankle. I won't be able to use the clutch for a month without crying," she said in an irritated voice.

"Then I guess I should leave," Shingo said, peeking around the curtain at her.

"You should! What the hell were you thinking of, ramming us the whole way down the mountain? That wasn't racing, that was a demolition derby," she spat out, eyes narrowed in anger.

"I'm sorry," he said, and the words sounded true enough. "Nakazato, I'm leaving the Night Kids. I don't deserve to race with your team after what I did."

"Leave all you want, but you can't race anyway and neither can I. In case you didn't notice, you destroyed both our cars," Nakazato said bitterly. Shingo tried to smile.

"Have you tried making an insurance claim?" he asked with a twisted laugh before leaving.

"Nakazato, can you afford a new car?" Sayuki asked after Shingo had left. He shook his head and laughed.

"I doubt it. I was able to sell some of the tuning parts off the R32, and the rest was sold for scrap. I don't have much money, Sayuki, so I doubt I'll have a car for a while."

"What if I helped you?" she asked with a devious smile playing across her lips.

"What do you mean, help me?" he replied.

"Mako couldn't afford Impact Blue by herself. We worked together to afford the car, and I owned most of it. I gave her my share of the car, and she gave me some money in return. If we were to co-sign on a car, we could afford a decent platform. What do you think?" she asked, wincing slightly as her foot shifted in the bed.

"What did you have in mind?" he asked.

"Something truly monstrous. Something we could topple Project D with. Something Hoshino-san has intimate experience with," she added. Nakazato felt a smile spreading slowly across his face as her hints struck home.

"You can't be serious. How could we afford one?"

"We'll work together and make it possible. What do you say? Are we going to go the distance?" she asked, sitting up in the bed to look at him seriously.

"How would we do it?" Nakazato asked, sitting lightly on the edge of her bed.

"We had the right idea, weight reduction. Project D has only come up against lightweight cars twice, once with the EA11R and again with the NA6C. Both were underpowered, and both fought against Takumi. Our target is the FD. If we can defeat one of the Takahashi Brothers of the Rotary Engine, then we'll be legends, remembered forever," she said, leaning back once more and closing her eyes.

"Bring me some papers so I can check the classifieds, Nakazato. Let me use my time fully."

"Takumi!" Bunta shouted up the stairs for the fifth time. The sleepy Fujiwara trudged downward and yawned loudly.

"What?" he asked.

"What the hell did you do to my car?" Bunta asked, his voice rising as anger threatened to break through his sleepy demeanor.

"What do you mean?" Takumi asked as he rubbed his eyes, confused. Bunta grabbed him by the shoulder and propelled him outside to where the Subaru sat and pointed at the front bumper.

"Scratches!"

"Huh. Did you hit something?" Takumi asked, slowly beginning to wake up.

"You drove it last. It left here clean, and now there are scratches on the bumper, with red paint in them. What did you hit?" The words 'red paint' jogged Takumi's memory, and one of his hands rose up to slap his forehead as it all came back to him.

"Ryosuke-san borrowed the Impreza to watch a downhill battle, with us as passengers. He tapped an EG6 to get it to stop crashing into the other racer. He was going to have it buffed out that night, but it was late. I told him he could do it later."

"Who the hell is Ryosuke and why did you let him damage my car?" Bunta shouted. A soft cough sounded behind them, and as Takumi turned around he was shocked to see Ryosuke standing there with a heavy bag slung over his shoulder.

"Fujiwara-sama," Ryosuke said, letting his bag down on the ground. Takumi glanced inside and saw, among other things, numerous cans of polishing compound, cloths, and a small electric buffer.

"Who are you?" Bunta asked in reply.

"My name is Takahashi Ryosuke. Takumi was kind enough to let me borrow your car last night, but in the heat of observing a particularly important battle, I unintentionally scratched your paint. I was going to repair it last night but Takumi was tired and needed sleep. I know you do your delivery runs at about this time, so I wanted to come by and repair the damage I've caused while Takumi ran the deliveries in the hachi-roku." Bunta looked at Ryosuke with a quizical expression on his face before shaking his head and returning with the tofu. He placed it in the AE86's trunk and shut the hatch, then pulled out a chair and sat down in the alley across from the Impreza's damaged bumper and lit a cigarette.

Takumi looked from his mentor to his father and back again, gauging the situation. A perverse part of his mind wanted to see the spotless Ryosuke actually sit down on the ground and get dirty, but his sense of duty prevailed and he opened the Corolla's door and sat down inside. Bunta handed him a cup of water filled almost to the brim, then returned to his seat. Ryosuke watched intently as the AE86 started up, its engine stumbling at first because of the cold affecting the individual throttle bodies, but its idle cleared up quickly and the hachi took off, headed for Mt. Akina.

Ryosuke sat down on the ground and pulled his bag over. Opening it up, he set the numerous cans of polishing and buffing compound in a circle around him and pulled out the electric buffer. Bunta kicked over an extension cord, and Ryosuke set to work.

"Why were you driving my car?" Bunta asked.

"We were watching a battle between an R32 and an EG6. Myself, Fujiwara, and my brother Keisuke were in the Impreza, watching the battle up front rather than waiting for the end result," Ryosuke replied as he cleaned out the wounded bumper.

"Do you often drive cars that don't belong to you?" Bunta prodded.

"No. I drive my FC and that's it, but with two seats, the three of us couldn't view the battle," he replied, making sure all traces of debris had been removed.

"What made this battle so important?"

"It was important because I was responsible for it. I run a street racing team called Project D, which is why your Trueno looks the way it does now. Our goal is to set the fastest times on all the mountain passes in Japan in one year, and then retire as legends. We're almost done. Because time is getting more and more precious, I've been tempted to upgrade Takumi from the AE86 to an all wheel drive like your Impreza," Ryosuke said as he gently began brushing on the first compound, using a soft cotton cloth to wipe away the red paint.

"Hmm," Bunta replied, taking a puff of his cigarette.

"However, Takumi surprised me. He was able to drive the hachi-roku faster than he ever has before, and he said you were responsible for showing him what he called the Ultimate Line. I was also surprised when my mechanic and I had a look at some of the details of his engine," Ryosuke said, standing up for a moment to stretch his legs. He looked at Bunta with a serious expression on his face, his eyes searching the older man for an explanation.

"How does an eighteen year old boy learn how to perfectly perform four wheel drift with minimal countersteer, and how does a Group A engine make its way under the hood of a tofu delivery car?" Ryosuke asked point blank.

"You should learn not to be so blunt," Bunta replied, putting out his cigarette and leaning back in his chair. The wind blew down the alley, ruffling his hair as it passed through.

"I'd still like to know how an ordinary Corolla can be tuned to such perfection that it can defeat an FD and an R32 with its engine making only 150 HP. I've done my research in the old racing records, and there's no mention of you, yet your knowledge is incredible. There have been others we've battled with skill like yours, but they've been few and far between," Ryosuke said, thinking back to the Gods and their highly-tuned AP1 and R34.

"I won't tell you," Bunta replied.

"Then at least tell me how you got the engine," Ryosuke pleaded.

"No."

"What about this car? This Impreza has been tuned to perfection. When I drove it, it made me hesitant to return to my FC. I've never driven a car put together as well as your Impreza. You were able to tune the hachi-roku and the Impreza with such purity of balance. Who are you?" Ryosuke pressed. Bunta laughed and headed inside.

"Fix my bumper and we'll talk." Ryosuke swore under his breath and applied all his efforts to the Impreza's bumper, muttering softly as the cold pavement seeped through his clothes and chilled him to the bone.

Takumi downshifted twice, blipping the throttle and enjoying the engine's willingness to rev. Whether it was just his imagination or a result of the new tune, the engine felt like it made more torque at lower RPMs, allowing him to initiate his drift slightly sooner and use his power to pick up more speed through the corner. It was this key difference in the engine's behavior that allowed him to shave more time from the hachi-roku's times running down Mt. Akina. The phantom Impreza was no longer in front of him, but instead the two cars, one real and one imagined, coexisted in the same space, following almost exactly the same line.

"Up to the apex both cars behave the same, but the corner exit is where the all wheel drive is superior. In order to defeat the Impreza, I need to enter the corner faster," Takumi said out loud as he dove deeply into the next corner, holding off his braking until the very last moment. The hachi turned in sharply and drifted through, all four tires crying out for traction. He focused his eyes on the next corner and remembered the discovery he had made in the diner parking lot last night. Using a combination of the drift he had learned in the AWD Impreza and the one-handed steer of God Arm, he threw the AE86 through the corner and was rewarded with a gut-wrenching wave of g-forces as the car took a new line that only the hachi-roku could take, a line that put the phantom Impreza two car-lengths behind at the corner exit.

Beaming with happiness he tried it again, and once more it succeeded. The AE86 descended the mountain in record time, and was soon parked on the street in front of the Fujiwara Tofu Shop. Takumi exited the car and walked inside, surprised to see Ryosuke standing up to leave and Bunta smiling slightly. As the two passed in the door, Ryosuke put his hand on Takumi's shoulder for a moment and looked at him thoughtfully before leaving without a word. The FC could be heard starting up outside, and as the sound of the rotary retreated, Takumi looked at his father suspiciously.

"Why did Ryosuke-san act like that?" he asked.

"He wanted to know a little bit more about the Impreza, your hachi-roku, and my tuning abilities," Bunta said.

"What did you tell him?" he asked.

"Maybe some day this Ryosuke will tell you," Bunta replied, walking upstairs to his bed. Takumi shook his head, climbed the stairs, and went to sleep himself, Akina's curves and the AE86's new cornering power running through his dreams.

"It was just like you said it would be," Nakazato said with a smile, helping Sayuki with her crutches. The two looked at the car as it sat on the showroom floor, black and ominous. The two drooled together over the muscular curves, the purposeful design, and the massive brakes. Kōzō Hoshino looked at the two and smiled.

"You've done well, Sayuki-chan. Quite a deal. Nakazato, when the paperwork is finished, bring it round to my home and I'll take it to my friends. They'll give you a more than fair price for what you need done," he said, shaking Nakazato's hand before leaving the young couple to stare in admiration at their new purchase, a shining Black Pearl example of an R34 GT-R.

"Are you sure you don't want the Bayside Blue?" Nakazato asked, aware of the fact that it would make the R34 look similar to Sayuki's old Impact Blue.

"I'm sure," she replied.

"With this car, and Hoshino's help, Project D will fall."


End file.
